


ten steps away

by connoroliver



Category: How to Get Away with Murder
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - High School, Childhood Friends, Drunk Texting, Friends to Lovers, High School, High School AU, Long-Distance Relationship, M/M, Multi, Texting, coliver - Freeform, text fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-20
Updated: 2016-03-03
Packaged: 2018-05-22 06:27:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,381
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6068704
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/connoroliver/pseuds/connoroliver
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>(8:00pm) your lack of respect for me is starting to hurt, ollie</p><p>(8:02pm) The first time we meet in 10 years and you're bent over your own vomit on my front yard at 5 in the morning. Can you blame me?</p><p>(8:02pm)...fair enough</p><p>***</p><p>Oliver thought that visiting the house he grew up in wouldn't be such a big deal until a very drunk boy passes out on his front yard at an ungodly hour. Connor wakes up with the worst hangover to find himself being taken care of by a childhood best friend that had moved away ten years ago.</p><p>They're separated again the day after, but with a discovered phone number and two boys who don't know what they've gotten themselves into, there's a way around that.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> The prologue and other special chapters will be the only ones with narratives. The rest of the chapters will be in texting form.
> 
> Connor - bold text  
> Michaela - underlined text  
> Aiden - italics and underlined

PROLOGUE

 

(11:40am) **S.O.S.**

 

(11:45am) I’m just in the living room doing shots, Connor. Join us!!!

(11:46am) **need ur damagge contro l**

(11:47am) ???

(11:48am) Are you drunk? 

(11:48am) **Backyard. Noww**

 

(11:54am) I’m still helping Wes look for his keys. Be out in a while. 

(12:03am) I’m on the patio. Where are you???

 

 

Michaela looks up from her phone, scanning the backyard. It’s hard enough that there’s barely any light outside and that she’s a couple more shots away from not remembering why she’s outside in the first place; Connor and the rest of the lacrosse team also managed to cram majority of the senior class in the backyard.

 

(12:13am) I’m outside. Where are you?

 

It’s another one of Lila Stangard’s parties, and everywhere Michaela looks, there are people grinding against whoever they could find in the crowd, or a group of friends drunkenly crying about graduating soon. The music is getting louder – or it might just be just alcohol starting to take effect, she’s not sure – as she tries to squeeze herself into the sea of people, craning her neck to find a glimpse of Connor.

 

By the fifth time some drunk guy from the football team tries to feel her up, she gives up and storms back into Lila’s house. She successfully dodges all the people pulling her in to dance or do more shots with them and gets to the front yard; still no sign of him. She goes straight upstairs, which is supposed to be off-limits, but it’s the only place where the music isn’t deafening. After checking all the rooms and still not finding Connor, she locks herself in Lila’s bedroom.

 

[Calling Hair Gel…]

 

_Hi whoever you are. Can’t talk right now. I probably won’t call back so just try again later, but if you insist, leave a message after the beep._

 

“Connor, where the hell are you? I’ve been looking for you for half an hour. How drunk are you? Aren’t you supposed to be keeping Aiden company because it’s his last day in town? Now I can’t find him either and – oh god. Connor I’m going to kill you.”

 

(12:49am) Is Connor with you? Please tell me you’re sober and fully clothed.

 

(12:50am) _M I cka y laaa!!!!! He’s here!!!! he’s fine!!!!!!!! brb ok!!!_

 

(12:50am) Unbelievable.

*

(4:49am) _Hey, so good news. I’m sober now._

(4:49am) _Bad news. I lost Connor and the six pack my dad bought is missing from the fridge so your best friend is probably still drunk somewhere._

(4:50am) _I’m so sorry._

(4:50am) _I’ll go look for him okay I’m sorry._

(4:50am) _I swear I’ll find him. Don’t kill me._

 

*

[Calling Connor Walsh…] 

_Hi whoever you are. Can’t talk right now. I probably won’t call back so just try again later, but if you insist, leave a message after the beep._

“Hey man, I…Yeah, I just woke up and you were gone and now I’m just really worried. I …I don’t know. So yeah, please call me back or at least text me or Michaela where you are when you hear this.”

*

**Day 1**

Connor sits up on the edge of the bed, elbows on his knees, hands massaging his temples. His head throbs and burns, making every trivial sound and motion feel like glass shards piercing his brain.

He hears footsteps and looks up slowly. At the doorway is a boy, with the dark hair and pretty brown eyes, holding a glass of water. It must still be morning because he was just in an oversized hoodie – it read _H.H. Academy Golf Team_ – and a pair of Star Wars pajamas.

“Nice PJs,” Connor comments.

Golf Team chuckles. "You passed out on our front yard at five in the morning after throwing up in the bushes. You don’t get to criticize me or my pajamas.”

Connor nods, but the movement amplifies the pounding in his head. “Noted. Sorry.”

“Apology accepted. How you holding up there?" he asks, giving him the glass and taking a seat on his computer chair in front of Connor. 

"Not exactly a morning person," Connor murmurs, before taking a gulp of water. The drink feels overwhelmingly refreshing in his dry, alcohol-tinged mouth. He drinks it all up, and although he still feels like shit, at least his throat doesn’t feel like burning needles anymore. He hands the glass back. "Thanks."

 The boy sets the glass down on his nightstand and smiles shyly. "Uh…yeah, no problem."

 Connor's head still pounds and it felt like his skull was going to crack. He really needs to get home and lie down until Monday. “I…I should get going.”

 Golf Team smiles sympathetically and nods. “You’ll be okay?”

 “Yeah,” Connor mutters back, but even as he pushes himself off the bed, he stumbles slightly, his vision going blurry.

 The boy, however, was quick to stand and steady him, guiding him by the waist and elbow. “Sure you don’t want…a coffee or something first?” he asks, sitting Connor back down on the bed.

 Connor shook his head – but only slightly because it already feels like his brain has been smashed in. “It’s alright. But thanks for the offer, Golf Team.”

 “Oliver,” the boy corrects, sitting back down on his computer chair.

 “Oh...” Connor mutters. Then it clicks.

 He actually _does_ know this boy. It was so many years ago, they must have been around seven or eight years old back then. His eyes widen slowly. “Shit. Oliver. As in Oliver _Hampton_? It’s me, Con- ”

 Oliver interrupts him, smiling. “Connor. The image of you squatting next to your vomit is tad bit different than the memories I have of you attempting to bribe me with your toy truck so that I’d show you how to jump rope, but I managed to recognize you.”

Connor laughs, shaking his head in disbelief. “Ollie Hampton…” 

Oliver scrunches up his nose at the nickname. “Yeah, nobody calls me that anymore.”

Connor grins. “Right, sorry, _Oliver.”_ Looking out the window, he could see his own house from here, and thinks that he should have realized earlier that he was in Mr. Hampton’s house. _“_ So, are you moving back in with your dad?” he asks, gesturing to the all the boxes out in the hallway. “It would be cool if we got to hang out again.” 

 “Oh, no, actually,” he answers.

Connor gives him look. “Alright, that’s fine-“

Oliver’s eyes widen. “No! I mean, _yes, definitely,_ that would be cool. I meant, no, I’m not moving back in. My dad is actually getting transferred to Philadelphia, which is where I go to school. He needed some help moving so I decided to drive over here a couple days ago. Besides, I spent a good chunk of my childhood here, so I might as well visit. Won’t exactly be going back here ever again after he moves.”

Connor nods, looking around Oliver’s room. The peeling walls were strips white and blue and there were Power Rangers stickers on the closet doors. Beneath the desk was a basket of action figures that have collected dust – some of them might even be some of Connor’s that he left in this house when Oliver had him over. The shelves were empty except for a broken toy helicopter and a small stack of VHS tapes. There were even a couple of Beanie Babies on top of the bulky TV. A suitcase next to the bed, a few clothes strewn across the floor, and a laptop on the desk table were the only things that hint a teenager’s presence.

This really was a kid’s room, a kid he remembers from memories of birthday parties and water gun tournaments. This person, on the other hand, is someone he technically doesn’t know at all – which is why he finds it strange that he feels a tinge of disappointment when Oliver says he’s never coming back again.

“Now,” Oliver says, breaking the silence, “I should probably…uh… walk you out.”

Despite himself, Connor chuckles. “I’m not that hungover,” he says, but he didn’t protest when Oliver grabs his arm to steady him, walking the both of them down the stairs.

When they reach the front door, Oliver opens it for him. “Sure you won’t collapse midway?”

Connor wants to act annoyed , but is unable to hide a smile. “I can see my house from here. I’ll be okay,” even though he can practically feel the sunlight seeping into his skull and worsening the ache.

Oliver smiles back. “Okay then, but if you ever pass out on my front yard at four in the morning again, don’t expect me to play nurse one more time.”

“Play nurse? You just gave me a glass of water. Don’t flatter yourself,” Connor counters.

Oliver smirks, but doesn’t say anything.

 “Well, thanks anyway,” Connor adds. “See you around.”

 “Uh…I doubt it,” Oliver replies, with a sad smile. “I’m leaving first thing in the morning.”

 “Oh,” Connor mumbles, nodding slowly. “Well…drive safely?”

 Oliver chuckles. “I will.”

*

Connor strips off his jacket and throws it across the room, which was now slowly spinning in a blur. He takes off his pants as well before he lets himself fall face down onto his bed. The soft thud as he sets his jeans next to him on the bed reminds him of his phone and he quickly rolls over to take it out of his front pocket.

[14 New Messages]

[2 New Voicemails]

 

“What the fuck…” he mumbles to himself as he taps to see his call log.

 

(12:47 am) Voicemail from Straight Best Friend

(4:53 am) Voicemail from Aiden

 

His heart plunges. _Aiden._

 Memories from last night come pouring in as he buries his face into his pillow in helplessness while listening to Michaela’s and Aiden’s calls. He remembers drunkenly whispering goodbyes into Aiden’s ears and Aiden kissing him. He remembers them racing to Aiden’s house – full on sprinting – which was only a couple houses down from the party. He remembers sneaking up stairs to Aiden’s room with him, shedding every piece of clothing as soon as they closed the bedroom door behind them. He remembers being a total idiot.

 The messages end and he lifts his head off the pillow to text Michaela back, trying to ignore all the regret weighing down his chest.

 

(9:21am) **I’m alive, safe, and back home.**

(9:22am) **Please save the lecture for Monday. I need to lie down forever.**

(9:22am) **Also, while I’m unconscious, please lock me in my room and put bars on my window. I shouldn’t be allowed to have sex again. Ever.**

(9:22am) **Thank you.**

 

**

Connor sleeps the rest of the day, waking up in blurry gaps between his slumber because of his phone pinging with more texts from Aiden. Michaela probably let him know that Connor was okay and back at home, but that didn’t stop him. All his texts practically said the thing anyway. _That was really stupid of us, Connor. We promised we wouldn’t do that anymore, Connor. It didn’t mean anything, Connor. We were just fooling around, Connor._ His inbox was full of what seem to be clichés from a friends-with-benefits romcom, and he didn’t reply to any of them.

By the time he fully wakes up, it’s four in the afternoon and Michaela is sitting next to him on his bed, flipping through channels on his TV.

“Good morning, sunshine,” she mutters, her eyes not leaving the screen.

Wrapping his blankets tighter against himself, he shifts around with difficulty until his head is on Michaela’s lap. He doesn’t say anything.

He can feel Michaela glance down at him. Sighing, she settles on a local news channel and sets down the remote. “Rough night?”

“I’m an idiot.”

“Yes, you are,” Michaela agrees, but pats his head. “But I’m still on your side and I don’t like seeing you get hurt. Wanna talk about it?”

“No…I kind of just want to lie here and watch The Walking Dead with you.” Connor gestures vaguely to his laptop, but Michaela doesn’t move. Instead, she takes his hand and squeezes it. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

Shrugging, he mumbles. “I don’t know…I’m used to him going all No Homo on me. It was stupid of me to invite him to the party anyway. That’s on me…Look, I just want to want to watch zombies and people suffering other than me, okay?”

She chuckles, and rolls him off her lap, standing up to get his laptop. “If you say so.”

They binge watch throughout the night, sitting with their backs resting against the wall and practically cuddling. They only moved from their position to go to the bathroom and to answer the door when the pizza arrived.

A box of pizza and one season of The Walking Dead later, Connor is too full, groggy, and dazed to pay attention as Michaela clicks on the Season 2 folder. His mind does its best to shut out any thought of Aiden, but it couldn’t. He ends up just enduring his still-pounding head and the anxiety that came with it.

Flashes of the night slowly come back to him as he stares blankly at his laptop screen and ignores Michaela’s commentary. As his head does an embarrassing recap of the night – _Oh god, did I really say “Distance makes the heart grow fonder” to him? I hate everything –_ his thoughts reach a full stop as he starts recalling showing up at Oliver’s house. Black out.

Then it comes slowly, the images a bit white at the blurry edges. Oliver helping Connor up from where he was crouched on the ground. Tracing the carvings on Oliver’s front door before Oliver snapped him out of it and lead him in. Oliver smiling. Oliver rolling his eyes as Connor wraps himself in bed sheets. Oliver yawning as he switched off the lights. The silhouette of Oliver’s body against the hallway’s light before he shuts the door behind him.

“Do you remember Ollie?” he blurts out, pausing the episode.

Michaela looks up at him, frowning. “You had a dog?”

Connor makes a face at her. “No. Oliver, my best friend.”

She raises her eyebrows. “Best friend? I’m leaving,” she declares dramatically, making a move to leave the bed.

He laughs, for the first time today since talking to Oliver, and holds her still. “When I was eight, I meant. You know, the kid who lived across me.”

Michaela smiles and settles back, curled up on her side facing him. “Good. But no, I don’t. He must’ve moved out before I started hanging out around here. Why?”

“Ah, nothing. I...ran into him last night I guess. He’s really nice…pretty smart. Haven’t seen him for ten years…” Connor trails off, not knowing where he was going with this. He taps the spacebar and the episode resumes. At the corner of his eye, he can see Michaela looking up at him in confusion, but he ignores it until she lets it go.

*

The first thing Connor thinks about when he wakes up is how badly he needs a shower.

He closes his laptop and sets it aside before kicking off the sheets. Connor forgets Michaela’s there until she groans and tosses around, slowly opening her eyes. “Oh god, what time is it?”

Connor glances at his wall clock. “Almost noon. We fell asleep just before dawn, I think.”

Michaela sighs, rubbing her eyes. “Fuck. There’s school tomorrow.”

“Yup,” Connor mumbles, before yawning. “I’m gonna go shower and change my clothes.”

Michaela eyes his sweater. “Have you not changed since the party?”

“I couldn’t find the willpower to get out bed all day yesterday,” he says defensively.

“Gross.”

Connor his shirt off, before throwing it at her. “Whatever.”

She catches it effortlessly, and throws it back. “Ugh, don’t be disgust- wait, what’s on your forearm?”

Connor frowns, looking at his skin, and there it was. It was a phone number written in purple Sharpie and some writing underneath.

_CALL IF FOUND. MIGHT PUKE ON YOU._

Connor stares at it a little bit, and then laughs. “Very funny, Michaela.”

Michaela scoffs. “Do you not remember that I barely saw you that night? I didn’t write that. Probably Aiden.”

“I don’t know…” Connor mumbles, trying to ignore the frustration Aiden’s name brings. “Pretty sure he’s not the type to own purple Sharpies. Besides, I don’t remember having this when I left his place. I would have noticed, I put the sweater back on when I was on my way to…Oliver,” he concludes, realizing.

Michaela smirks. “Who’s _Oliver?_ ”

“Childhood best friend. The guy I was talking about last night, remember? He let me crash at his place after I passed out,” Connor replies, still looking at the number.

She raises her eyebrows. “That’s sweet of him. Is he cute?”

Connor rolls his eyes, suppressing a smile. “It’s not like that. Let me just shower so I can wash this off-“

“Don’t!” Michaela insists, sitting up. “He was your best friend, don’t you want to keep in touch? And you said he’s a pretty cool guy…Okay, at least thank him on my behalf for taking care of you. I’m usually stuck with that job.”

Connor shakes his head disbelievingly but picks up his phone and inputs the number nonetheless. “Fine.”

 

 

 


	2. #1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Connor - bold text  
> Oliver - normal text  
> Michaela - underlined text  
> Gems, drunk stories, boarding school, and road trips.

**Day 2**

(11:49am)  **???**

(12:03pm) ??? at you too

(12:05pm) **it’s connor**  
(12:05pm) **"if found, call this number. might puke on you" alright then**  
(12:06pm) **this is Oliver isn’t it**

(12:06pm) Oh my god  
(12:06pm) I forgot to erase that after you passed out  
(12:06pm) uh. Hi?

(12:06pm) **hi to you too**  
(12:07pm) **my friend told me to thank you for taking of care of me, but i’m having second thoughts**  
(12:07pm) **i mean, big talk about taking care of me and playing nurse and turns out you were going to abandon me and let some stranger find me. real comforting.**

(12:10pm) Well, I led you into the house  
 (12:10pm) Then you started accusing me of kidnapping you and demanded you wanted to leave  
(12:11pm) It was 5 in the morning.  I had zero energy to deal with some drunk stranger so I just wrote on you just in case someone found you dead in a water tank somewhere and needed someone to come and identify the body.

(12:12pm) **then I passed out**  
  
(12:13pm) Then you passed out.

(12:15pm) **i sound like a blast**

*

(2:00pm) **technically im not a stranger.**

(2:31pm) haha

(2:31pm) **“haha” oh you’re that kind of texter**  
  
(2:37pm) Um no. Sorry. I’m kinda driving right now.

 

(2:37pm) **oh. right. philadelphia.**  
(2:38pm) **sorry**  
(2:39pm) **drive safe**

(2:42pm) Not if you keep texting me

(2:43pm) **haha**

**Day 3**

(11:58am) Should I be concerned that for a moment there, you thought I was a stranger and you had zero problem with waking up in my bed?

(12:00pm) **i’ve woken up in worse places**  
(12:00pm) **you’re one to talk. you took me into your house. i could have been murderer.**  
  
(12:01pm) Um no I actually knew who you were before letting you in my house.

(12:03pm) **oh. well who could forget a face like this**

(12:04pm) well  
(12:04pm) true

(12:06pm) **i’m kidding, Oliver  
** (12:07pm) **i’m flattered though**

(12:15pm) i was kidding too

(12:16pm) **uh huh. sure**

(12:17pm) shut up

(12:19pm) **;)**

**Day 4**

  
(7:46pm) **why did you leave anyway**

(8:03pm) What do you mean?

(8:05pm) **when we were kids**

(8:07pm) Oh. Really?

(8:09pm) **really what**

(8:11pm) Idk. People usually don’t care when I move away. I’ve moved around quite a lot.

(8:12pm) **well i care. i remember missing you. i mean you made my club penguin account for me and you were the best at musical chairs**

(8:20pm) I was 8. I’m not the kind of person people would miss now tbh

(8:21pm) **are you okay???**

(8:23pm) Sorry, just not in a great mood rn  
(8:24pm) I’m not usually this much of a bummer  
(8:24pm) Okay, that’s a lie, I totally am but well

(8:25pm) **you’re really not, Ollie**  
(8:26pm) **want to talk about it?**

(8:36pm) Nah, I’m sorry. It’s fine  
(8:37pm) I’m just being the embodiment of the Moody Teen On A Road Trip With The Family trope  
(8:38pm) You know. Like Jojo in that Robin Williams movie

(8:39pm) **what do u mean she was in a Robin Williams movie**  
(8:39pm) **are u telling me she has more movies and not just Aquamarine**

(8:41pm) Yeah. RV. With Robin Williams and Josh Hutcherson

(8:42pm) **ok i haven’t seen that but i doubt her performance there was better than her performance in Aquamarine**  
(8:43pm) it was truly The Gem of 2006

(8:43pm) THE Gem of 2006??? I think you’re forgetting about High School Musical

(8:45pm) **…you have a point**  
(8:51pm) **you sure you’re alright? and shouldn’t you have arrived by now?**

(8:52pm) As soon as we saw to it all his stuff was settled at the new place, he immediately decided that we should extend the road trip because my classes don’t start for another week so we could “reconnect”.

(8:52pm) **yikes.**

(8:53pm) Yup. Now I have to sit here in the passenger’s seat pretending this is going to be a fulfilling adventure just because we’re gonna see some parks and lakes and shit. Which would be okay, because he’s a good guy, he really is. But he’s not exactly…father of the year material. And being alone with him for the next few days is a bit??? Idk

(8:54pm) **shit, im sorry you have to deal with that**  
(8:59pm) **if it helps, i can keep you company**  
(8:59pm) **i’m a delight**

(9:01pm) Thanks, but it’s okay, we’re crashing at this weird inn for the night. They’ve got wifi. I’ll survive.  
(9:02pm) But I’ll definitely take up that offer once we’re back on the road.

(9:03pm) **haha sure**  
(9:04pm) **goodnight, jojo**

(9:05pm) Shut up. Goodnight.

*

**Day 5**

(8:04am) **i know we were discussing The Gem of 2006**  
(8:04am) **but can i just say that i have a nomination for The Gem of 2009**

(8:05am) I know I said I wanted your company but you’re scaring me  
(8:05am) What is it?  
  
(8:06am) **your 2009 facebook profile pic**

(8:08am) Oh my god  
(8:09am) Connor don’t even

(8:09am) **at first i was wondering “is my favorite thing about this picture the Photobucket color splash effect. is it the black vest thrown over a v-neck look that screams ‘4 th Jonas Brother’. is it the fact that your glasses are set aside bc you had to wear those John Lennon sunglasses. is it the fringe. is it the is it the vinyl records (that clearly came from the shelf in the background) strategically placed by the stool he’s posing on for the whole ‘i have an old soul’ aesthetic. is it the fedora.”  it was tough call.**

(8:10am) Don’t make me regret pulling you away from your vomit

(8:10am) **then i realized. no, none of that is right. my favorite thing about this picture is the caption**

(8:11am) I don’t remember the caption but I already want to jump out of this car

(8:12am) **hint: you’re holding an acoustic guitar**

(8:12am) Oh no

(8:12am) **oh yes**  
(8:13am) **“ bc0z m@ybe…ur g0nn@ b the 1 d@t s@ves me… n @fter all… ur my w0nderw@ll XD lol”**

(8:14am) BYE CONNOR NICE KNOWING YOU IT’S MY TURN TO DRIVE AND I SEE A NICE CLIFF UP AHEAD

(8:14am) **HAHAHAHAHA  
** (8:15am) **really wish you didn’t move away. i would have loved to see this phase firsthand.**

(8:15am) I would say that that’s the one part of my life I never want you to see  
(8:15am) But then I realize that my ~welcome to my twisted mind~ blogging days were worse

(8:16am) **…brb**

(8:17am) Good luck, I’ve deleted all traces of my blog account.

(8:18am) **and yet you couldn’t delete your old profile pictures**

(8:18am) Trust me, that’s the first thing I’m doing once I get decent wifi  
(8:19am) It really is my turn to drive though. Talk to you later?

(8:19am) **sure, wonderwall**

(8:20am) Please don’t

*

  
(11:43am) You have no bad profile pictures  
(11:43am) Zero shitty blogs from your preteen years  
(11:44am) Your first tweets aren’t embarrassing  
(11:45am) Did you do a social media clean up before making fun of me? Because I refuse to believe you have never posted something stupid

(11:46am) **hahaha sorry to disappoint.**  
(11:47am) **if it makes you feel any better, my first twitter dp was a pop art edit of me posing on the field and had the words “ lacrosse 4 lyf” on it. freshman year was a dark time.**

(11:48am) …Ok, that does make me feel better  
(11:48am)  But you’re in the lacrosse team? And you made the team on your first try?  
(11:48am) Ugh you’re part of the Cool Crowd™ aren’t you?

(11:49am) **hah**  
(11:49am) **im really not**

(11:49am) Why am I having a hard time believing that?

(11:50am) **Oliver, pls**  
(11:50am) **i may be a jock, but i’m also a theatre kid and a debate club member**

(11:52am) …..Debate club???????

(11:54am) **my history teacher was talking about how “white male privilege doesn’t exist” and i kind of just stood up and started telling him about how wrong he was. and idk i had all this stock data in my head about the topic and im pretty good with arguments and public speaking. so one of my classmates begged me to join. and idk it’s actually fun.**

(11:54am) Amazing

(11:55am) **hey. no bullying.**

(11:55am) No I’m being serious. I just meant I didn’t expect you to be like that tbh. You’re pretty great.

*

(11:56am) …Are you okay?

(11:56am) **why wouldn’t i be**

(11:56am) I can see you smiling at your lap from here  
(11:56am) Are you still texting that Oliver guy?

(11:57am) **maybe**.

(11:58am) Quit it. Listen to the lecture. You’re gonna get your phone confiscated. 

*

(11:59am) **i know i am**

(12:01pm) I take it back

(12:02pm) **too late**

*

(4:01pm) My dad and I chilling by lake bc Father Son Picture Perfect Moment  
(4:01pm) I am in the cold trying to survive on take out and beer  
(4:02pm) Dad’s trying to make small talk  
(4:02pm) What do I do

(4:48pm) **sorry i was at practice**  
(4:49pm) **you have alcohol! all the possibilities!**

(4:52pm) Like drinking all of it and throwing up on someone’s front lawn?

(4:53pm) **are you never going to let this go**

(4:55pm) You’re talking like it happened so long ago  
(4:55pm) My puke stained hoodie is still in the laundry

(4:56pm) **don’t wash it off. memories**.

(4:57pm) Don’t be gross  
(4:59pm) My father is talking about his socio-political opinions distract me pls

(5:01pm) **oh god. um. ok.  
** (5:02pm) **let’s play Was I Drunk or A Kid**

(5:03pm) As in the game from How I Met Your Mother?

(5:03pm) **glad i’m not the only one who watched that shitty show**

(5:03pm) Why are people even disappointed with the finale? It’s a show about a group of obnoxious white people making offensive jokes. What did anyone expect?

(5:04pm) **…point taken**.  
(5:05pm) **anyway. one time i jumped into a pool and cried because i couldn’t swim and was sure i was going to drown. it was a kiddie pool and i just forgot to stand up.**

(5:07pm) Drunk. I feel like you were smarter as a kid.

(5:08pm) **first of all, rude. second, yeah, you’re right.**

(5:10pm) Knew it  
(5:12pm) One time I was convinced I was going to starve to death because mom wasn’t home yet so I ate five blocks cheese and all the canned food in the pantry.

(5:13pm) **kid. i feel like you would be a chill drunk.**

(5:14pm) Wrong

(5:16pm) **HOW DID YOU EAT THAT MUCH WHEN YOU DRUNK AND NOT THROW UP**

(5:17pm) I didn’t have a front lawn to throw up on at five in the morning

(5:18pm) **hah. very funny.**

(5:20pm) The worst part was that I wasn’t even living with my mom when that happened. I forgot I was in my dorm room and that mom lived an hour away from me.

(5:21pm) **dorm room**  
(5:22pm) **wait are you in college**

(5:24pm) No??? Senior like you

(5:25pm) **you go to boarding school  
** (5:26pm) **…oh my god do you wear blazers and ties and everything**

(5:28pm) Shut up

(5:29pm) **oh my god. the golf team hoodie. i should have known.**

(5:30pm) I’m already regretting telling you

(5:31pm) **you know, in my head, i just kept referring to you as Golf Team before i realized who you were**

(5:32pm) You literally called me that out loud, Connor

(5:33pm) **oh. right. sorry about that, golf team**

(5:34pm) Shut up  
(5:34pm) The hoodie’s not even mine omg

(5:35pm) **how’d you end up in boarding school anyway**  
  
(5:36pm) I applied for a scholarship because the school had a great computer science programs which i’m great at and was not the shitty public school I went to and I got it

(5:40pm) **…i’m so impressed. you’re so good with computer shit.**  
(5:43pm) **meanwhile i couldn’t even make my own club penguin account**

(5:44pm) You even freaked out that I used my own email instead of  one of your parents’ emails so that we could confirm your account immediately

(5:45pm) **….we could have gotten in serious trouble, Oliver**

*

**_[Mama Calling…]_ **

“Hey mom.”

“Hi sweetheart. Where are you right now?”

“In the cabin, getting dad more beer. We’ve kind of just been…sitting by the lake.”

“Alright. How are you two?”

“We’re good, mom. It’s all great. I’m having fun.”

“…Are you sure?”

“Don’t worry, I can handle myself. Relax, mom.”

“Alright… So why are you not paying attention to your father?”

“…What?”

“I just… _Anak_ , I just assumed that – ”

“ _Mama.”_

“…Okay, fine, your dad texted me – whining about how you were just on your phone all day.”

“Oh god. Mom, look, you got to understand that – ”

“Hey, I’m not here to scold you, _anak._ ”

“…”

“I’m just wondering if he’s treating you okay.”

“I…He’s being his usual obnoxious self but…Yeah, I’m fine. We’re fine.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah. I’m 18. I can handle him.”

“ _Sige,_ if you say so. You have all your meds there with you? You’re not drinking too much, are you?”

“I do. And it’s fine, I’m not drinking at all. I’m pretending to, but he’s actually finishing off all the beer himself. This way he’ll fall sleep in around an hour.”

“…Just when I thought I couldn’t love you more.”

“Love you too, ma. See you soon.”

“ _Kelan ba?_ ”

“In a couple days. He wants to stay up here for a while. Said it reminds him of home.”

“Really?”

“I don’t get it either. It’s fucking freezing.”

“Language.”

“Sorry.”

“So…you’re really doing okay?”

“Yes.”

“Who are texting anyway? Isn’t Laurel still out of the country until Friday?”

“She is, yeah…”

“…So?”

“Uh…Remember Connor?”

“ _Sino ‘yan_?”

“Connor Walsh. We used to live across – ”

“The boy who knocked on our front door every day at 3 PM sharp, looking for you? Of course I remember; such a sweet young boy. Did you see him again when you were back in town?”

“Yeah, I did actually.”

“How is he?’

“He’s…he’s pretty good company.”

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yes i know that conrad ricamora probably can't even speak filipino but u know what. who says oliver can't.  
> (but then i realized i'd be exhausted if i made him speak filipino everytime he talks to his family bc i'd have to translate everything to english and well he did grow up in america in this 'verse so i'm just gonna throw in a few words here and there from time to time.)
> 
> Anak - "child", a common term of endearment for kids  
> Sige - Alright  
> Kelan ba? - When?  
> *
> 
> Sino 'yan? - Who's that?

**Author's Note:**

> i was like. "wow i really love writing high school AUs. but also long distance fics. oh god childhood friends AU///BUT ALSO TEXTING FICS!!!" so i figured. why not all of the above.


End file.
